FOR celebrated singer, actor and businessman Alan Tam Wing-lun, the rise to the top was a long haul.

The ex-Wynners lead singer worked part-time in the nightclubs of Wan Chai while he was still in secondary school, and was a messenger boy for a trading firm and then a stationary salesman before joining the rock band.

After the Wynners dissolved, he pursued an acting career in Taiwan, winning the prestigious Golden Horse Best Actor Award for the 1981 film, If I Were for Real.

Returning to Hong Kong after an absence of over three years, Tam re-established himself as a singer with the golden hit album, Unforgettable You.

He also proved himself a successful businessman, winning the 1987 Courvoisier Award For Business Excellence.